1 / 11

Evaluating Scholarly Databases

Evaluating Scholarly Databases. Evaluating a database before using it can save time, frustration, and hopefully make the process more efficient Gives the user an idea of the scope of information stored in the database, availability of full-text, search syntax accepted by the system, and more.

toya
Download Presentation

Evaluating Scholarly Databases

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Evaluating a database before using it can save time, frustration, and hopefully make the process more efficient • Gives the user an idea of the scope of information stored in the database, availability of full-text, search syntax accepted by the system, and more

  2. Finding the Right Database • Fogler Library Subject Portals • There’s a portal for every academic program at UMaine • http://www.library.umaine.edu/default_portals.asp • Guide to Reference • Database listings by subject, includes reviews • http://ursus.maine.edu/record=b4251271~S1 • Internet Subject Directories • See handout from week 6 • Mostly list free Internet resources, but some will list scholarly/academic databases too.

  3. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Subject coverage • Geographic coverage • Years covered • Types of publications included, i.e. journals, conferences, technical papers • Frequency of updates • Well organized and understandable help pages • Limit search to: • Most recent updates • Peer reviewed

  4. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Journal Selection • Databases can contain information from a range of journals, trade or industry publications, popular magazines, conference papers and other document types • Look for databases that provide content that undergoes peer review, editorial review or some other applicable quality control processes

  5. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Relation to full-text • Full-text • Bibliographic data with an abstract • Cited and/or citing documents • Citation tree or citation graph • Remember, domain limitations

  6. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Cost • Typically, the best databases will require some sort of payment • Pay per use • Pay per download • Subscription • Free databases may have less reliable indexing, less available content, lower quality standards for the content it does have

  7. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Cost (cont.) • While they are “free” to you, most databases accessed via Fogler Library website are licensed, i.e. , the library pays a subscription fee. • Libraries usually pay more for these subscriptions than individuals, because libraries must pay for multiple users to access them.

  8. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Subject Indexing • Can be used to narrow search results and increase precision and recall • Databases that have a thesaurus and/or return search results that include subject headings typically mean they are manually indexed • Remember: BT, NT, RT, UF • Exploding

  9. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Search Types • Basic, advanced (field), and expert options • What fields are searchable? • Operators and modifiers • Boolean, truncation, proximity, nesting, etc. • Search History

  10. Evaluating Scholarly Databases • Limit search: • To most recent updates • To peer reviewed only • To review articles • By language • By publication type • By publication date

  11. Database Search Challenge • Topics • Construction and maintenance of offshore marine wind turbines in difficult climates • Community health aspects of adult male circumcision in developing regions • Personal data privacy and protection in ubiquitous mobile computing environments • Safety standards, guidelines or best practices for the operation and maintenance of natural gas vehicles

More Related